ST Ives bounced back from their defeat to Midlands Four East South leaders Brackley with a brilliant 66-0 win over Bourne at The Chicken Shack on Saturday.

Jim Lewisham, Mel Jessop and Steve Burke all returned to the team and Johan Clare was also available following a trip to France.

Ollie Bartlett opened the scoring with a 65-yard run and splash down, and Max Dominy kicked the extra two points for 7-0. That was the first of 10 tries, with captain Jim Robinson converting his own for 14-0 before scoring a second which Dominy kicked for 21-0.

Clare extended the lead further and Mickey Drake bulldozed his way through the Bourne defence for a fifth try which Dominy also converted.

The Bulls were just as relentless in the second half with Luke Slade touching the ball down in the mud for 38-0 and Dominy converted a second Drake try and Paul Ashbridge throwing a dummy and breaking through the lines for 50-0 which, of course, became 52-0 when Dominy was accurate with his kick.

Robinson completed a hat trick of tries (again Dominy converted) before Greg Thurston also got on the score sheet with a final Dominy converted try.

“It was important that we bounced back from last week’s defeat,” said Robinson. “With Bourne being newcomers to the division, it was tricky to know what to expect from them, but we started well, scored early, and pressed on from there.

“To score 10 tries in those conditions is a credit to the whole team.”

St Ives remain second in the table after top dogs Brackley rode a calamitous first quarter to beat St Neots 48-23.

St Neots amassed a 13-point lead early on but Brackley steadied their ship and reached the season’s half way point the only undefeated team in the division.

Will Hall and Rob Turner scored the Saints’ first half tries with Dan Glover kicking two penalties and a conversion for an 18-10 lead.

But Brackley woke up in the second half and, after Ed Hunt was sin binned, replacement Ollie Macey was shown a straight red card for his first tackle of the game.

Captain Rhod Howcroft said: “We showed against St Ives that you can’t spend 20 minutes of a game with 14 players on the pitch and expect to not get worn down.”

Callum McShane scored a further try for the Saints but the leaders were too tough in the end.

“We’re working harder and harder every week and will continue to improve over the course of this season and get back in touch with the top two after Christmas,” added the captain.

Midlands Four East South: Aylestone Athletic 41-6 Wellingborough OG, Corby 5-5 Stamford College Old Boys, Oundle 27-3 Thorney, St Ives 66-0 Bourne, St Neots 23-48 Brackley, Westwood 0-70 Bedford Swifts.

YOUTH RUGBY

ST Neots under-15s romped through to the semi finals of the East Midlands Plate with a 29-0 win over Northampton Casuals.

Right from the off there was only one team in the game, with Josh Hollingsworth powering over the line within minutes of the start for the first try, and Jamie Arbour getting a second for the visitors, which was converted by Harry Robinson for a 12-0 half time lead. Robinson then got try number three in the second half – which he also converted – before Jordan Barnard made it 22-0. With Jonny Good the man of the match, the final two points came from the boot of Robinson after Jake Silverthorne had scored the last of St Neots’ six tries.

St Ives under-12s took on Bedford Blues in an exciting game which they won in the last minute 20-15.

Freddie Clark scored the first try and the referee awarded a second for 10-10. Campbell Strong made it 15-10 but Bedford came back to make it 15-15 before George Costello powered home to secure the win. In a second game between the two sides, St Ives had an easier time with Finley Ruddock, Costello, Strong, Clark, and then Strong again, scoring the tries in a 25-0 victory.

Also at Bedford, St Ives’ under-10s played three games, losing the first two but drawing the third. Charlie Hallam, Rory Crouch and James Mather were the men of the matches.